On The Rock. Teaching and Living on Pitcairn Island

Friday, January 18, 2013

Thank you to all who followed blog of our our adventures on Pitcairn Island. We had a wonderful year there and will always treasure our memories. After leaving Pitcairn we have travelled through a number of countries and have arrived safely in Bangkok.
Bangkok will be our base for 2013. With us both being school teachers we can see a huge need here for quality education. We want to work with disadvantaged children that would not otherwise get an opportunity to receive education. We have begun a Christian based six month course called "Children at Risk". We invite you to follow our new blog as we undertake this new adventure.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Today (2.12.2012) is our departure day.We leave with mixed emotions.I feel sad to leave this beautiful island
behind.Can you believe there are still
places that I have not had a chance to explore? It has been a wonderful year
for us – full of personal growth and challenges and we are so thankful that we
have had the opportunity to be here.

We got up early at 5:30am and rode on the quad bike to the
Highest Point to watch the sunrise.We could
see the Claymore II anchored down at Tedside.We will board at 5:00pm this afternoon.

There she is at anchor

Will we ever return?I would like to think that one day we may have the opportunity but this
is quite possibly the last we will see of beautiful Pitcairn.

Paul’s final sermon was held at the Seventh Day Adventist
Church on Pitcairn Island on the 2nd December.There was a
good turnout of people attending to say farewell to us and to welcome to
Jean-Claude and Esperance Honoura as new pastors.

Esperance and Jean-Claude Honoura - New Pastors

The farewell luncheon held afterwards was a feast.

We felt privileged to hear
the speeches and to receive the beautiful gifts. The lidded basket made by Daphne Warren has my name 'RUTH' and 'PITCAIRN ISLAND' woven into the panadanus strips. The dolphin was carved by Dennis Christian.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Many people have read and seen pictures of the petroglyphs in
the area of Pitcairn known as Down Rope.Adventurous tourists climb down the cliff face to see them. Less well known and less accessible are the
petroglyphs ‘Down the God’. The route
down is not for the faint-hearted.

Agility, strength and a good head for
heights are the key factors needed for the descent and climb.

The descent down is very steep

At the
base of the cliff is an overhang.The
petroglyphs are carved into the rock.Unfortunately in years gone by an islander chiseled the carvings out of
the rock with a view to selling them.When it was pointed out to him that this was not an acceptable thing to
do, he returned to the site and cemented them back into place.The cement can clearly be seen.

No one knows the meanings of the symbols which have been there since the times of early Polynesian settlement prior to the the arrival of Europeans

One of the projects looming large for the Pitcairn
Island future is the Alternative Harbour Project.In a nutshell, the project is to build a
second harbour built on the western side of the island.This will provide an alternative landing
wharf and access to the island at times when the weather is not suitable for
landing at Bounty Bay.

Approximately ten cruise ships call at Pitcairn
Island each year.For some of these
ships the islanders go out to board the cruise ship to sell souvenirs.For other ships it is possible to off load
the passengers onto the boats and ferry them to the Bounty Bay wharf.It is dependent on the age and ability of the
passengers to negotiate the boarding of the smaller boats and the weather on
the day.

The two rocks protruding out in the sea in the foreground will frame the new harbour

The western side of the island, known as Tedside,
often has a more settled wave pattern and a lesser swell than Bounty Bay, when
the weather is coming from the east.If
we are getting a north easterly both Bounty Bay and Tedside can be
exposed.Yachts and the Claymore II
supply ship anchor at Tedside as often as they anchor off Bounty Bay and the
longboat leaves from Bounty bay and travels around to Tedside.Occasionally a passing yacht is unable to
call in at Pitcairn because of the weather.

To build a harbour and suitable access to the
western side is a huge project.Consultant
Engineers from New Zealand, Tonkin and Taylor, were involved when the project
was originally put together.They will
visit the island during the construction period.

Access down will mean a new road will be constructed

This project is an ideal opportunity for Pitcairn
Island to attract new people to come to the island to assist with the
construction.Employment is difficult to
find on Pitcairn Island and is one of the disadvantages that anyone considering
immigrating to Pitcairn would face.

The planning stages of this project are already well
under way.Funding for the project will
come from the European Union.It is
expected to cost in the vicinity of 2.2 million Euros.Initial payments of 1.125 Euros have already
been paid.Existing heavy duty equipment
on the island will be used and additional heavy equipment will be needed.Tenders have been put out for a ship capable
of bringing the heavy equipment to Pitcairn.

The time frame for the project includes beginning
construction in April 2013, having a concentrated effort and aiming for
completion late 2013.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Today was a lovely calm day here on Pitcairn Island.This afternoon while teaching in the
classroom we heard a voice on the radio from the passing Wakatapu vessels.So we took the school children up to the Ship’s
Landing lookout point and watched the two waka as they sailed past. The red sail stood out against the blue of the Pacific. If you have not been following the voyage of
the waka as they follow in the wake of their ancestors from Auckland, New
Zealand to Rapanui (Easter Island) and return, you can view their website on www.wakatapu.com

The two waka originally left Auckland on 17th August.They left Mangareva on 7thNovember and are journeying towards Rapanui.Pitcairn Island is about one quarter of the way to Rapanui from Mangareva. We wish them all well on their voyage.